June 17, 2026 -- Psalm 81:13-16 -- Should've, would've, could've

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

13  Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14  I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15  Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16  But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Psalm 81:13–16.
 
The Psalm opens with a rousing call to “shout for joy to the God of Jacob”. As the writer continues, he celebrates the great deliverance God brought to His people when He rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. That background then brings us to our verses today. Such mighty deliverance ought to have elicited from God’s people a response of whole-hearted praise. Instead, they bowed down to foreign gods. They didn’t acknowledge they owed all their freedom and deliverance to the Holy One. The result? The LORD of Glory “gave them over to their stubborn hearts”.
 
Then what follows is a stunning lament—God grieving over His people’s sinfulness. Had His people followed Him as they ought to have done, He would have subdued their enemies. But His people do not follow Him. They don’t credit the freedom they have to the One Who rescued them. Hatred of God is not excused by times of going to church (the people of Israel offered false worship). Hatred of God is not excused appearing to walk with other believers (the people of Israel in community paid lip service to God’s greatness but ran in the way of the godlessness).
Look how God would have blessed His people had they been faithful. He would have fed them with finest wheat—not mana on the ground, but the finest wheat. He should have satisfied His people not with water from the rock (Exodus 17:7), but honey from the rock.
 
Ah, fellow believers, where are you compromising your precious faith? Where are you confessing Jesus with your lips and rather than spending time with Him, watching TV, gaming, letting sports take precedence, or letting your love of gambling, or love for family (or insert here whatever other life-controlling issue or addiction)? What activity is tearing your time away from God and dividing your affection? Where is it in your life that you know the good you should do but the very thing you don’t want to do, you do? In view of the glorious salvation of God, in the Old Testament His salvation is deliverance from Egypt, in the New Testament, Jesus at the cross delivered us from the Egypt of our sins, we are called to offer our plans and our deeds, our goals and all our pursuits to Him.
 
Integrity means wholeness. Not divided parts offered to the world but most of our parts to God. No! We give God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit what is right, not what is left over.
 
Spirit of the Living God, I confess how many things pull at me, seeking to distract, to divide my attention, and if I am fully honest, there are many times I know the good I should do, but I chase after what is deadly to my soul. Spirit of Truth, reveal the depths of my waywardness to my conscious mind, then give me holy courage to cut out of my life all that wilfully pulls me away from holy service to God. Let my life be a shout of thankfulness for the great salvation God has shown me in Christ. Let others see a believer of integrity walking with God and let my wholeness and holiness be so compellingly attractive that they too will desire to know Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=twpfrmryXe5Kfd_d All Praise to Him
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 16, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:15 -- Hey, what path are you on?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15 ESV
 
The way of a fool means that a fool’s impulses, plans, and steps are out of alignment with God’s ways. The reason is clear. The fool is a man or woman who says in his heart there is no God. A fool might also be one who claims there is a God but then lives as if God’s existence doesn’t matter. Keep in mind that King Solomon wrote these words. He himself became a fool as his heart was led astray by his wives and concubines.
 
To be right in one’s own eyes is to be self conceited. It was a strikingly emotional moment when a man who is incarcerated turned to me and quietly said, “I can’t keep on doing what I’m doing.” This man, who is a “frequent flyer” (regularly incarcerated), turned to me and noted he’d been in the SHU (Special Holding Unit, or segregation). He had time to think while he was there, and he realized showing up at the Bible studies was teaching him something new. After his time separated from all the other men, I noticed there was a new purposefulness in his attendance at Bible Study. His self-conceit had been broken. There is a crack in the godless foundation of his life, and the Spirit of the Lord is breaking in.
 
A wise man acknowledges God exists. A wise man is humble enough to be instructed in the Word of the LORD. A wise man in the Old Testament is one who realized the system of sacrifices pointed to an ultimate sacrifice. A wise man (or woman) in the New Testament era and beyond, is one who knows Jesus is that full, final sacrifice for our sins. A wise man, having been purified from his sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness, will in turn ask the Spirit of God to guide him in all that is good, holy, and pleasing to the LORD. It is the love of God that compels him to know God more fully. And it is a self-perpetuating cycle, the more one knows God, the more of God one wants to know.
 
O LORD You are my salvation!
I will trust in You and not be afraid of the opinions of others, or the pressures of an ungodly world, or the screams of hell’s demons sent to waylay me. You, O LORD are my strength and my song. You, O LORD, show Your glorious salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit, I draw water from the wells of salvation. Through the Spirit I receive the wise instruction that guides me in the way of salvation. I sing praises to You, O God, for great and glorious is Your Name. Spirit of God, magnify Jesus to my heart, my imagination and my plans, so that serving Him becomes a joyful duty. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BXWvis6Xk1w?si=1AKnc2YIWZWksi10 Jesus, Thank You
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 14, 2026 -- Matthew 14:34-36 -- Unable to stop telling others

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Matthew 14:34-36 ESV
 
Notice that the men of Gennesaret recognized Jesus. The original language signifies that the men of that region had likely heard Jesus speak before. That makes sense, Gennesaret is just a few miles from Capernaum. So, there is little doubt the men of Gennesaret had heard Jesus before. Or they knew Him by reputation. What they knew of Jesus was so electrifying to them, they sent around to all that region to alert people: “Jesus is here.”
 
I want to rest on that for a moment. I wonder if we, as a little gathering, have that same zeal, or enthusiasm for Jesus? Whatever it is we know of Jesus, it is enough to have us invite anyone we know to come to church? Perhaps to compel your friends to join us on Wednesdays? Whatever it is you know of Jesus, is it enough to cause us to want others to know Him as well?! If not, then what is your picture of Jesus? Reexamine it. The Bible shows that anyone who has met Jesus immediately either hates Him, or feels so drawn to Jesus that they tell others and invite others.
 
Sometimes we think we need to know the whole Bible, all the theological issues and be thoroughly educated about Jesus before we tell anyone about Him. The Bible shows us something radically different. With whatever knowledge men or women have, they rush out and invite others to see Jesus. They invite others to come see Him and hear Him.
 
Father in heaven, how great and wondrous is the salvation love You have lavished on us in Jesus Christ! Forgive us for the hoarding greediness by which we keep this wonderful news to ourselves. Or selfish attitude which closes the door to people who are not like us. Spirit of the Living God, cause us to recklessly invite people from the East and the West, the North and the South so that they too will feast at the banqueting table our Father has spread for us in Christ and they will also be transformed by our Savior-King. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/vz-FkqobgXY?si=gCGPgyujgf5CdfC4 Tell Out My Soul
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 11, 2026 -- Acts 10:24 -- Prepared to Testify

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. Acts 10:24 ESV
 
Cornelius was not a Jewish man. He was an outsider to the Jewish people. Yet, many Jewish men spoke well of him. Obviously, they’d taught Cornelius to pray to God. To give alms. But he was not a Christian. In a vision, Cornelius was told to send for Peter. Peter, to this point a devout Jew who’d never entered an unclean house, that is, a house of non-Jewish man. Peter was prompted by the Spirit of God to go to Caesarea and witness to Cornelius.
 
What intrigues me are these facts.

• God shows no favoritism—He will send missionaries and prophets far and wide to collect His people to Himself.

• Cornelius is so excited about God that even before he is a Christian he is sending for his family and his close friends to hear Peter.

• God had long been at work in Cornelius’ life. Many, men and women, put into Cornelius' life by God, influenced him long before Peter ever walked in.

• Peter preached a brief sermon (at least in Acts it is brief) and Cornelius is radically saved.

• The Holy Spirit falls on him and his family and close friends—all who heard the word. Exciting.

• Peter was part of a long line of people God had sent to prepare Cornelius (and his family and close friends) to receive the Good News. What may have seemed sudden to Peter was in fact, the end goal of God’s long work of sending man before Peter.

 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Do not be discouraged if, when you speak of Jesus, your listeners do not, like Cornelius and his family and friends, immediately receive Jesus with joy. You may be person three of the fifty or so people required to testify to Jesus, before the person in front of you will finally give himself to Jesus. Preach the word. Live for Jesus. Love the people God has put into your path.
 
Truly, O God, I understand You don’t show favoritism. You save men and women from many languages, tribes, peoples, and nations. Blessed be Your Name forevermore. Father, send me to speak as a witness to Jesus; by Your Holy Spirit, give me the boldness to speak and the discernment to know how little or much to say. Triune God, bring in the full number of Your people so that Your glory and Your renown will spread over this earth. In my own life, let Your praises shine forth. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/mgVS1W9nbO0?si=KRmFXC59Nq_m3ES5 The Ends of All the Earth Shall Hear
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 10, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:14 -- True Satisfaction

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him. Proverbs 12:14 ESV
 
Two verses before this one, Solomon inspired by the Spirit wrote, “the root of the righteous bears fruit”. As New Testament Christians we know a believer who is grafted into Christ, the root and the true Vine, will bear fruit. According to Galatians, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23a). Solomon’s own life reveals how elusive such life-long fruit-bearing can be.
 
Solomon was blessed by God with wisdom, great wealth and peace, but he was not satisfied with such good from God His Savior. He went on to marry 700 wives (all princesses) and he had 300 hundred concubines, all these women led his heart astray. To please his wives, he built temples to honour pagan demons and his wives made sacrifices to them. It was so vile, the Bible records: “he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” I Kings 11:6). The work of his hand came back to him and his work proved to be rotten fruit.
 
Why mention this? If Solomon, who was granted great wisdom can fall away from God with such terrible consequences, we, ordinary men and women, must guard our lips and command our bodies to be obedient. Our hands must work at what is good. With intentionality. With accountability. With constant self-examination in the strength of the Spirit doing so by the light of Scripture. Aware how quickly a believer can move from being godly to being fruitless and doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD. Fruit bearing requires pruning away unfruitful branches. Fruit-bearing requires whole-hearted devotion to the LORD.
 
Be encouraged, dear fellow Christians, the LORD our God has given to us new life in Christ. The Father and the Son have poured out the Holy Spirit so that we will be led in the way everlasting. God has provided you with brothers and sisters in Christ who can pray for you, call you back from sinful ways, and join you in worship which re-orients the soul from self-absorption to being once again fully satiated in Jesus, the soul’s delight.
 
O MY LORD,
Forgive me for serving thee in sinful ways –
by glorying in my own strength,
by forcing myself to minister through necessity,
by accepting the applause of others,
by trusting in assumed grace and spiritual affection,
by a faith that rests upon my hold on Christ not on him alone,
by having another foundation to stand upon beside thee;
for thus I make flesh my arm.
Help me to see
that it is faith stirred by grace that does the deed,
that faith brings a man nearer to thee, raising him above mere man,
that thou dost act upon the soul when thus elevated and lifted out of itself,
that faith centers in thee as God all-sufficient,
Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
as God efficient,
mediately, as in thy commands and promises,
immediately, in all the hidden power
that faith sees and knows to be in thee,
abundantly, with omnipotent effect,
in the revelation of thy will.
If I have not such faith I am nothing.
It is my duty to set thee above all others in mind and eye;
But it is my sin that I place myself above thee.
Lord, it is the special evil of sin
that every breach of thy law arises
from contempt of thy Person,
from despising thee and thy glory,
from preferring things before thee.
Help me to abhor myself in comparison of thee,
And keep me in a faith that works by love,
and serves by grace.
 
“Vain Service”. The Valley of Vision. Ed. Arthur Bennett. Banner of Truth Trust: Carlisle, PA, 2020, page 330
 
https://youtu.be/7tElvdnId4Q?si=iRuIZ1HV6ZTSYhTS All My Hope
 

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June 8, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:13 -- Escape

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
but the righteous escapes from trouble. Proverbs 12:13 ESV
 
In verse 12 the wicked were in view, now there is a subtle shift and a parallel person, the evil man, is the focus. The evil man is unclean, repugnant to God. Such a man may be perfectly acceptable in secular society. Though his words and deeds are abomination in the sight of God, his words and deeds fit into the world’s waywardness and vile rebellion against God.
 
An evil man may perceive himself as good. He may believe in his causes and be sincere in his desire for good as it is defined by the secular gods of this age. However, his words ensnare him. It is imagery used about bird catchers. The evil man’s words weave a net that catches out his own lies. He acts as though nothing were wrong, though spiritually his arms are pinned to his sides, and he is going down to the grave and then to hell. In the book of the Exodus, Pharoah’s advisors called out to Pharoah the fact that Moses was a snare to the Egyptian people. The more Pharoah disregarded the words of the LORD, the more Egypt was caught up in the net of God’s judgment (Exodus 10:7). The result of disobedience is that Egypt was ruined.
 
There is another word in this proverb which is closely associated with the Exodus. But this time the word is linked to the righteous. Those who are God-fearers come out of, that is, they escape trouble. It is used in Exodus, on the evening before Israel is delivered from Egypt, they are commanded “Remember this day in which you came out of (escaped) Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out of this place” (Exodus 13:3). When Israel escaped Egypt, they were delivered not because of their righteousness, not because they were better than the Egyptians. Oh no way! It is because the LORD set His favor on His people.
 
The LORD acted in mercy towards those who were themselves snared in slavery. It is the work of Jesus which is captured in this brief proverb. The evil man and the righteous man are both ensnared, caught in sin. The evil man, by his words and life, weaves an ever-stronger net binding himself to his hateful acts against God. The righteous man is not good, or better than the evil man. The difference is prayer. In the Exodus, just before God acted, it is recorded: “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew” (Exodus 2:24-25). The people of God cry out to Him. They groan because their own wickedness and the snares of sin are like slavery in Egypt—they are captured and the impulses of sin drive them to habits of sin that are even greater and viler. God heard. God broke the chains of their slavery. God rescued.
 
Jesus is our escape from Egypt, our Exodus story. For the sake of Jesus, God hears our cries, our helplessness, our panicky howling at the snares we’ve gotten ourselves into. Jesus breaks the curse of sin by becoming sin at the cross and enduring God’s punishment against sin on our behalf. While He bore our sin, His righteousness was granted to us. That is why the righteous escapes from trouble, Jesus went into the places where we were ensnared, and was trapped in our place, crucified, so that in Him we escaped the wrath of God. We now walk by the light of God’s grace. Since the punishment for the crime of our sins, past, present, and future have been paid in full, we are stamped with the righteousness of Jesus. Our sins can’t be punished twice. Jesus paid it all. Now, walk in the holiness Jesus won for you.
 
Mighty God, O give me repentance unto life;
Cement my oneness with my blessed Lord Jesus,
that faith may adhere to Him more immovably,
that love may entwine itself round Him more tightly,
that His Spirit may pervade every fibre of my being.
Then send me out to make Him known to my fellow-men. Amen.
Excerpt from the prayer “Humility in Service” The Valley of Vision, page 327.
 
https://youtu.be/f30KtH7SFLg?si=08gtq8dWD6BKBhUC Jesus Paid It All
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 7, 2026 -- Psalm 27:1 -- Crying out for help

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Of David.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1
 
In the middle of the chaos of crisis, it might have been tempting for David to look at his enemies. Or stew in the remembrance of wild beasts that threatened him as he kept his father’s sheep in his youth or the rebellion of his own officials. All the threats he’d faced before he might mentally have begun to pile one on top of another. The heart’s temptation might be to consider all the ways in which one has suffered. To rehearse all the wrongs, real and imagined, recently endured or from long ago, and complain. Look at how David, inspired by the Spirit of God, handled the crises. He preached to his soul. The total psalm shows us each time there are real menaces arrayed against him; his impulse is to preach to his own soul. He is telling his soul to trust in God.
 
The LORD—this is the covenant Name of God. It is the Name of Salvation which the LORD our God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. It is the Name God gave to Himself and taught His people so that they’d know, with head knowledge and assurance that resonates from the heart, there’s no God, no power, no enemy which could ever withstand the LORD, Who is arrayed in Splendor.
 
Today, Christians declare Jesus is Lord. The disciple that had doubted Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, upon seeing His nail-scarred hands, touching the wound at His side (the one made when the soldier’s sword pierced him and blood and water rushed out) declared: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Doubting Thomas, become believing Thomas.
 
As the All-Powerful One, the LORD, appeared to crisis-tossed, sin-choked people through-out the Bible, and revealed His splendid saving power, so He continues to do. Today is Sunday. Get to a Bible believing Church. Especially if you are in crisis, or struggling against sin, or wondering if God even knows you’re alive. Hear the powerful word declare Him Who is your LORD, your light and salvation. Phone a Christian friend and get the encouragement you need to fight the good fight of faith.
 
As the storm-tossed seas of my life crash wave upon wave of troubles and threats, I pray those words which David preached to his soul: Oh LORD, You are my light and my Salvation. Let those words inspire me to anchor my hope and confidence in Jesus. Jesus, I confess it. You are the radiance of the Father’s glory and the fulfilment of His salvation to weary souls. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/27WmFfY3rwc?si=aeosdZJfa6SrvmRR Still My Soul, Be Still
 

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June 6, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:12 -- Contrasted root and fruit

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
Proverbs 12:12 ESV
 
A friend of mine gave me a parallel bible. On each page, for every chapter and verse of the bible, there are four versions set side-by-side. Why mention this? Well, the New International Version, the King James Version, New American Standard Bible and Amplified Bible all translate this single verse in different ways. The ESV footnote attached to this verse reads: “The Hebrew of this verse is very difficult”. The first part of the verse is especially difficult, though the contrast between the wicked and the righteous is obviously highlighted.
 
Various commentaries on this passage note that whatever one is grounded in, whatever is one’s life root, that is what will produce the fruit in your life. The wicked love lies, manipulation and oppose the costly ways of God. Wickedness bears the fruit of longing for more wickedness, greater indulgences in it. More excesses. The wicked man is jealous of evildoers, and he'll amend his way and his life will yield the fruit of ever bolder perversion.
 
Contrast this with the root of the righteous. In John 15 Jesus is the root and believers are grafted into Him. His Spirit supplies the life of the righteous so that they can endure (so the NIV). The Spirit Who connects the believer to Jesus, enables that formerly wild, wicked branch, now grafted into Jesus “yield fruit” (so the KJV and NASB). The man or woman grafted into Jesus “yields richer fruit” (so the Amplified Bible).
 
When the Father, Master Gardener, takes you, a wild, wicked shoot, from the realm of evil, and grafts you into the righteous root, that is Jesus, you will bear fruit that just and honourable. Such righteous fruit-bearing will be evident in your relationship with God and with other people. You will shrink back from the former pleasures associated with your sinful past. I was recently asked, by a young man, “Do you, as a mature Christian, who has long believed in Jesus, still wrestle with sin?” What a plaintive, but honest question. Yes, I wrestle with sin.

The fact is, the believer, grafted into Christ will probe his own heart, examine his motives, and ask a question like that. A believer grafted into Christ will see the old patterns of sin that threaten to pervert the coursing lifeblood of Christ’s righteousness. A believer grafted into Christ will be a man, or a woman, constantly drawn to confession. Any and every impurity despised. Any hindrance to growth, as soon as it is uncovered, by the Spirit, by Scripture reading, by the wise council of a friend, or through the word as it is preached, will cause the righteous to cry out to God. His urgent plea will be:
 
Faithful Father, purify me once again. As You promise in the Word, by Your Spirit’s ingrafting and healing work, cause me to bear the fruit of righteousness that is inevitably produced through union with Jesus. Do this for Your honour glory, O God my Father. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BXWvis6Xk1w?si=RwTNchb4R2N-adL8 Jesus, Thank You
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 4, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:6 -- Powerful Words: destructive or healing?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
Proverbs 12:6 ESV
 
There is nothing which seems more insubstantial than speech, a mere vibration in the atmosphere which touches the nerves of hearing and then dies away. There is no organ which seems smaller and less considerable than the tongue; a little member which is not even seen, and, physically speaking, soft and weak. But the word which issues out of the lips is the greatest power in human life.[1]
 
How are you using your words, face to face, or in your texts, or your posts?
 
I urge you to ponder, meditate on the amazing word of God, which has the power to heal you.
 
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued in faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3
 
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28
 
Let the love of God, His sweeping compassion, and His tender mercies fill your thoughts. Then, as one who is filled to overflowing with His goodness, let your tongue be the soothing, healing agent of God’s blessing directed out to others.
 
Prayer:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/qr8QoQKmXfk?si=lBQg9U2t-m0Bya9G “Let the Words of My Mouth”
 
[1] Robert F. Horton, “The Book of Proverbs,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Psalms to Isaiah, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 3, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 388.
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 3, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:5 -- What's your cover? Your inside?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
Proverbs 12:5 ESV
 
You can’t judge a book by its cover, you know that old familiar saying, right? The outside of the book may not give you the real sense of the book itself, what it is about. That is comparable to the inner life of any person. Whatever is inside a person, whatever governs his thought-life and motivates his actions, is beyond you. Only after you’ve observed a man over days and weeks and maybe months, will his true character shine out.
 
The thoughts of the righteous will be expressed in all areas of life. How does the man interact with authority, especially when the actions of that authority are unjust? Will he be a man of integrity? How does the righteous man handle his money, treat his friends, speak of his God? Over the course of time, as you read the man’s actions (to use the metaphor of a book and its cover) you begin to know the man’s inner life.
 
The wicked are deceitful. What is promised doesn’t necessarily come to fruition. What is given with one hand is taken by the other. The fullest extent of one’s wickedness is discovered in one’s relationship to God and his relationship to the people of God. Does the person have the appearance of goodness or virtue, but does in fact dishonor God by his words or by the evidence that his allegiance truly is self-ward instead of God-honoring?
 
Praise God that all our righteousness is found in Jesus. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you realize there is deceit in you, or you discover ways in which you’ve been doubling down, instead of confessing your wrongdoing, confess it. Our Father in heaven welcomes those who are humble of heart and shows mercy to those who confess their sins. Let the Spirit of God direct you in this.
 
O God, my Father, in Christ You have called sinners to repentance. In Christ You have sought out lost sheep who have wandered from the thoughts of righteousness and the path of just actions. By the work of Your Spirit in me, give me the courage to confess my sin and the strength to renew my walk in faithfulness. Amen.
 
Casting Crowns - Jesus, Friend of Sinners

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 1, 2026 -- Matthew 12:30 -- Nobody can be neutral like Switzerland

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Matthew 12:30 ESV
 
If you want to blow up a political party loudly proclaim your compassion for the other candidate and sympathy for some of his convictions. If you want to get people riled up at work explain in the break room why you know life is precious in God’s eyes, from conception to natural, unaided death. Boom! That’s abortion and Medical Assistance in Dying all in one sentence messing with people’s worldly values.
 
Those two incendiary conversation starters will cause firestorms among the hearers. It’s like that with Jesus. When you hear His voice, no neutral reply is even possible. Indifference or inaction are signs you are against Jesus. Neutrality is like taking His good words and tearing them up right in front of Him.
 
Why mention this? I wonder, how often we as Christians are far too passive in our reception of the Word of God? The sermon has been preached, and believers are not rushing to implement the word, by confessing sin, caring for a neighbour, getting radically reconnected with an estranged Christian brother or sister. Or opening their homes to the pregnant, scared young woman rejected by her boyfriend and now considering abortion.
 
Glorious Father in heaven, thank You that You have never, ever been neutral toward Your elect. From before the creation of the world, You have chosen us in love. Your gift of Jesus is the unarguable, magnificent display of Your active, constant, steadfast love worked out in all of history. Your gift of God the Spirit is the vital lifeline that proves You have equipped Your people with everything necessary for life and godliness. Forgive us, Father of Mercies, for our recalcitrant hearts and stubbornly immoveable minds. By the Spirit of Power blow up every stubborn resistance in us and renew in us such a zeal for Jesus that it will be obvious to all around us that we are submitted to and actively serving Jesus and like fishers of men and women, gathering in those appointed for life. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/jWHssWNwu5s?si=nlZ9bOpPn80PoEv8 Rushing Wind
 

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May 30, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:2 -- Are you a sin-o-phobe?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but a man of evil devices he condemns.
Proverbs 12:2 ESV
 
Who is the good man? As a New Testament Christian reading this, we know the good woman, the good man, is one who has been made aware of his great sinfulness. His absolute need for cleansing, accomplished by the blood of Jesus, is something he is constantly aware of and that which he meditates on, and this humbles him. Such a person receives favor from the LORD—that is, he is accepted by the LORD, he receives the blessings of God, the Spirit of the LORD lives in him and restrains his sin. This restraint of sin is urgently necessary. The whole book of Proverbs is written for believers, read by those instructed in the LORD, so that they will be warned, prepared to renounce sin, hate it, and return to God.
 
A man (or woman) of evil devices does not recognize thought patterns that are destructive and displeasing to God, instead, he indulges them. A human heart where even a small foothold is yielded to sin, that little territory of sin will lead to the establishment of headquarters where sin becomes a virus factory, sending infection into all the thoughts and actions of that person’s life. Sin blinds the sinner to its motives, its self-aggrandizing, and its hardening effects. All these streams of infection lead to rebellion against all the ways of God.
 
Have you ever met a germophobe? You might hand him a cookie, but he’ll refuse to eat it because you didn’t wash your hands before you picked up that cookie. He is so disgusted by uncleanness, that he sanitizes a doorknob before handling it. I wonder, dear fellow believer, are you a sin-o-phobe? That is what is pictured here. Sin, even the thought of acting sinfully, ought to elicit from you a gut-level revulsion.
 
Father in heaven, I confess how easily I neglect the filthiness and nastiness of sin and its effects. I do not ponder the fact that the washing away of sin and its effects could only be accomplished at the cost of Jesus’ priceless blood. You did not spare Your own Son but crushed Him in my place so that Your anger against sin would be turned away. Spirit of God, as I reflect on this, this vast treasure-store of grace beyond my deserving, yet in love applied to me, renew in me a holy zeal to be the saint you make me to be in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=m_8OPCBXP13AmLYd O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
 

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May 29, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:1 -- How open are you, really?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Proverbs 12:1 ESV
 
The word discipline here means correction, or instruction in a better way. If you are held to account for your actions, it means some person is willing to face you (and your potentially angry reaction) to keep you from going down a wrong path that leads to death. The ability to receive admonition is closely connected to the knowledge of God.
 
Reproof is correction that leads to life. Here like the first line of this proverb, we encounter someone who loves a friend enough to call out destructive behavior. But this time the criticism despised. The one called out is stupid. That word stupid is rarely used in the Bible. It is found in Psalm 49. There a stupid man, like the fool, will die, leaving their wealth to others.
 
Are you humble enough to listen when someone corrects you? Even if the person who is calling you out doesn’t do so in a loving way? It is hard to screw up the courage to tell someone what they’re doing is wrong. Every single one of us is called to be humble before Jesus. He alone is perfect. He alone is our standard. We are called to be holy as He is holy. When we examine our lives we are not comparing to someone who is slightly better than us, (or if we want to make ourselves feel better, we compare ourselves to someone we think is below our standards). No, we compare ourselves to Christ. That way, not one of us can boast. No one comes out of that comparison looking good. So, in gratitude overwhelmed by the mercies of God, we receive correction and instruction so that in all things Christ is adored.
 
O LORD,
I confess I am wise-in-my-own-eyes stubborn. Let Your word drill down and show me the mess of sin churning within me. Give me the grace necessary to hear and receive correction. By Your Holy Spirit, make me more fruitful and more spiritual in all my activities so that Jesus is honoured and adored through my humble service to Him and all this to the glory of God, my Father. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/Pr2RG-xR2lA?si=ABrAqYR8TqYtyKxw Prince of Peace

 

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May 27, 2026 -- Proverbs 11:23 & 31 -- God restrains wickedness, rewards righteousness

People loved by the Father, in the power of the Spirit: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
Proverbs 11:23 & 31 ESV
 
Desire is complicated. It is the longing of your heart; sometimes you know what is driving your longings, often though, you have no idea what is driving your ravenous desires because its root causes remain unexamined. Desire can be for food, or lusts, or things, or money, or community…the list is nearly endless. The question is, what governs your desires? The righteous man or woman, submitted to the God the Creator, yields all desires to the will of God. The righteous realize untamed desires are ruinous.
 
The wicked are ready to follow every desire to its logical conclusion. Thanks be to God that men and women are not as fully wicked as they could be. God restrains the wicked from fully carrying out their schemes. You read of this in several places. The outstanding example of God’s restraint of wickedness is the tower of Babel. God confused the language of those builders, restraining them from the full measures of pride and wickedness (Genesis 11:1-9). Already here on earth the wicked experience the wrath of God, which is His just and righteous, properly-measured-out anger against sin.
 
The wicked are repaid on earth now because their lusts and desires can not be satisfied. Their cravings are like fire which never says enough. It is a fire that consumes their body, mind and finally their soul. If a wicked person takes hold of the object desired, the question that immediately follows, “Is this all I get?” It can never be enough. So, lust and desire are inflamed, goaded on to greater depths of depravity.
 
How are the righteous repaid on earth? They know that whatever God ordains for them is right and best. They are confident in good times. In troubled times the righteous rejoice, thanking God that they are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. The righteous have the rock-solid confident the Holy Spirit is using every circumstance in their life to prepare them for fuller fellowship with Jesus now, and perfect fellowship with Him in eternity.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for Your great love which designates us to live in close communion with You, our Father, Savior and Comforter. Thank You for thwarting our worst cravings, restraining the madness of lingering sin which would cause us to run from You. Blessed be Your Name for the rewards You already confer on the righteous, for the joy of Your presence, the fullness of Your love, the depths of Your mercy, the hope of eternity in Your presence and so much more. As we reflect on such things, deepen our devoted service to You, and increase our capacity to hate sin, and love You more. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BP0dtwXWQ_M?si=rJWKAFzmS1pyKO9e He Will Hold Me Fast
 

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May 26, 2026 -- Proverbs 11:27 -- What is it you are diligently seeking?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Proverbs 11:27 ESV
 
There is no such thing as a ‘basically good’ person. All people are bent toward evil. The natural inclination of the heart is towards wrongdoing. Our free will is always oriented towards the freedom to doing wrong. When a man, or a woman, has been rescued from the present evil age by the glorious work of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:4) he can never be indecisive about evil and good. He remembers the overflowing, vile, wickedness that drove him and the clutches of evil that choked him. Knowing he is rescued in Christ, he will diligently seek good.
 
To diligently seek good means to pursue God first thing in the morning, and reaching out to Him as your final thought at night. To diligently seek good means you are using your time, money, skills and efforts to remain in God’s good graces. God isn’t going anywhere. So, why do we have to strive to remain in His good graces? Our tendency is to drift. We can strain against the very bonds of love that keep us from running back to our sins at the very first sign of frustration.
 
When God the Father grabs hold of You, He has the power to sustain you in the way of life. The Spirit, send by God, will sanctify you so that your past is conquered and you are given the righteousness of Christ. The question is, as a saved man, or a saved woman, how will you live?
When one gets lazy in his all-out-effort of seeking the good that comes from God, that person will inevitably begin to consciously move towards compromise, toying with sin, and old patterns of life. So, the instruction of Proverbs is a powerful reminder to recommit ourselves to diligently seeking God’s favor.
 
God of Great Salvation, by the powerful presence of Your Spirit within us, teach us once again that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, and steadfastness effects in believers the completion of faith. We confess our lack of wisdom, and at the start of this day, plead with You for the wisdom that comes from above, asking You will give it to us in generous measures so that we will grow up, maturing in Christ, Who is our Savior and the Captain of Salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=iXOGj-ekVOn3eGf3 All Praise to Him
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 25, 2026 -- Matthew 13:33 -- Spirit fueled transformation

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Matthew 13:33
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025)
 
Leaven is yeast, the active ingredient that worked into dough, causes the whole lump of dough to rise; the proportion for bread is something like 9 grams of yeast to 120 grams flour. That relatively tiny amount of Kingdom leavening is enough to make the whole Christian completely, internally changed. Notice that the Kingdom of Heaven must be worked into the people of God. When leaven is added to the dough, the dough is allowed to rise, and then it is kneaded, it is worked all through. That is hard work. Carolyn and I like watching some baking shows, where contestants are competing against one another to become the best baker. Each week the bakers are presented with challenges. Bread week is always fun. You see the contestants using all kinds of methods to work the dough. Some use mixers. Others punch it down with their fists. Others roll the dough, fold it, and slap it against the tabletop. It looks violent.
 
Too often our view of the Christian faith is all sentimentalized. It is like a sappy mental picture of Christians earnestly listening to the Gospel preaching and afterward going home and implementing all they have been taught. They don’t imagine it is hard work. But this parable, and many other lessons in the Bible, ought to disabuse you of that sentimental hogwash. Consider the Spirit’s work in you, kneading all the leavening throughout your life, as you read these examples:

• As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another Proverbs 27:17. When iron is doing its work, sparks can fly! It is hard work.

• Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Psalm 141:5

• We can go on and on—think of Jonah, on rough seas, in the belly of a whale, sweltering in the hot desert sun before the LORD taught him and softened his heart.

If we are going to have the word of God truly penetrate us, allowing it to get past our defenses, our self-assurance, or our smug proudly held wrong beliefs, we need to have the lies crushed out of us. We need the Spirit of God, like a strong-armed baking woman, to knead us and work Jesus’ teaching into every part of our heart, mind, and soul.
 
I give thank to You, O LORD, with my whole heart; though You are seated on high, You care for Your lowly people. Father in heaven, by Your Spirit’s presence in me, fulfill Your purpose for me. Let the steadfast love You have shown me in Christ transform me in every way according to Your glorious goal for working out in me the fullness of Your salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/y3gWwGDGgVA?si=RlA0SE0hXPCsHkm- Take My Life and Let it Be
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 20, 2026 -- II Corinthians 7:1 -- Bringing holiness to completion

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
II Corinthians 7:1 ESV
 
That word fear can mean being afraid of, but Paul’s use of it is like the fear of a man, who loves his wife and therefore has decided he will not look at another woman lustfully for fear of insulting his own wife or compromising their relationship. It is a healthy fear that sets boundary lines which preserve the good and keeps out defilement and sin.
 
In Chapter 6 Paul has spelled out the promises of God—we are God’s temple, He is our God and we are His people; He is our dear heavenly Father. Knowing these promises are for you and for me, we fear to touch, look at, engage in anything that violates or makes dirty, our relationship with God.
 
In Paul’s day there was an expression, “to corinthianize”. It meant to take someone who is innocent and debauch them, make them as dirty as the sexualized culture around them. Ouch. You can see that is precisely what is happening in our culture today. Secular schools emphasize sex education, even at the earliest grades, while skills such as math and reading and art and physical education are pushed aside.
 
As Christians, delighted in the glorious blessings of God, we avert our eyes from the defilements of our culture. We debrief ourselves from the stains of daily life in a world that is filthy with sin. We do so by confessing our sins. We do so by holding ourselves accountable to fellow believers, who have the right to ask us if we are too entangled in any aspect of the culture, rather than being fully integrated into our Christian faith and pure unto Jesus.
 
What an expression! Bringing holiness to completion; we do not merely make a start at serving God and ridding ourselves of sin, we go all in for Jesus. Heart, mind, soul, and hands are committed to refraining from evil to serve Jesus and this to the glory of God. Why? Because God loved us first. Because God has given us all things necessary for salvation. A little holiness is delightful, the more of it the Spirit brings to us, the more we are filled with the Spirit and with the blessed joy of this new life and we hunger and thirst for more.
 
Father in heaven, teach me, all over again, teach me the joy of a life dedicated to Your holy service. By the presence of Your Spirit stir up in me a zeal to hate sin more and being cleansed of it, to have greater capacity to bring holiness to completion. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/U8zWzw_Cc2o?si=TilQS9W103TDT5qj Take Shelter
 

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May 19, 2026 -- I Corinthians 15:58 -- Wholehearted service. To what? To whom?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
I Corinthians 15:58 ESV
 
This new day stretches before you. Death has been defeated. Christ, our Savior, has taken away God’s curse against your sin. Jesus has opened the way to life. In Jesus’ resurrection power, we are called to live out our Christian faith with boldness.
 
Paul notes first off; this means Christians are steadfast resolved in our hearts and minds to serve Jesus.  Serving Jesus is not decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances. We will serve Jesus. It has been decided already, we will obey Jesus and live for Him, not matter what the day brings. Next, we are immoveable; stubbornly prepared to serve Jesus rather than being swayed by the impulses and temptations of the world. Finally, we are always abounding in the work of the Lord; that means that we will do all that is required of us, and this with joy. We are not parsimonious (ungenerous) in our work, or sullen in our attitude. No way! We are abounding in the work of the Lord knowing He has supplied and is supplying all our needs.
 
“Wait”, you might be protesting, “I don’t experience this!” Okay. Have you dedicated yourself fully in service to God, or are you 75% God’s and 25% serving yourself and your needs? Look at your life and consider what kind of fruit you are bearing. If you are selfish, worldly, or toying with being okay with your peers six days a week and one day a week appearing to be Christian, then you are not fully trusting in Jesus.
 
It is good to sort this out now, before Jesus returns. If your conscience is tweaked now, then turn to God in prayer, asking Him to reveal where you are holding on to stuff. Pray He will show you what has priority in your life, it will be something you love or more than you love for God.  If you protest God is demanding too much, then be warned, the coldness that is taking over your heart is a sign you are drifting far from God.
 
Dear brothers and sisters, those who are steadfast and immoveable, abounding in the work of the Lord, serve God with all the strength, hope and love He gives you. At the end of this day, I am sure you won’t have been able to out-give God.
 
Our Father in heaven, forever blessed be Your Name! Thank You for the life You have given us in Christ, our Savior-King. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who is clearing out the junk in our lives, the stuff which we used to treasure in place of honouring You! Help us to be evermore devoted to, and zealous in, our service to You. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=QhFfSl-UmQOPs-k9 Afflicted Saints, to Christ Draw Near
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 17, 2026 -- Proverbs 11:24 -- Are you a giver?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Proverbs 11:24 ESV
 
What are you expecting when you give to God? Do you expect that because you’ve given something God has an obligation to bless you? Funny isn’t it, how manipulative our thinking and giving can be? Believers give freely to God in their time, tithes, while offering their talents in service to others because of the extravagant blessings God has already poured out into their lives. Think of these blessings.

• Jesus has borne the wrath of God against our sin upon Himself, at the cross.

• The Spirit applies the forgiveness of Jesus as often as we confess our sins (and there are so many of them).

• The Father loves you as a son, a daughter. You are His and He is faithful to you, even when you’re faithless.

• The greatest riches of this life are not money, or things, it is knowing Jesus Christ. Through Jesus one knows the Father and lives in fellowship with the Father and the Son through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

• Life here is a fleeting, passing vapor; but those who live in the love of the Father now, know that eternity in His presence stretches before them.

• The promise is that in His presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

 
To withhold giving to the needy, or tithing to the church, or caring for the people whom God has placed in your sphere of influence is a sign of a heart that is shriveled. Only a heart untouched by the blessings of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can withhold blessings. Those who know the Father are open-handed in their giving.
 
Father of Glory, Source of every good blessing, thank You for the gift of Sunday. Thank You for this day of rest where Your people gather to praise You; joined together by the Holy Spirit, cause us to delight in the richest blessings You secure to us in Christ. Spirit of God, in light of the extravagant blessings which are ours in Jesus, help us to be generous of heart, of wallet, and of time. Direct Your preachers, evangelists, and missionaries to preach the Word with power. May those among us who are regular church goers welcome the newcomers who You have called to Yourself in love through Your blessed Son, our Savior, Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/T6V_fc5a3nY?si=KzdIXsUjYWYDKlw_ Safely Through Another Week
 

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May 15, 2026 -- Proverbs 10:23 -- Is your life a joke?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
Proverbs 10:23 ESV
 
Here’s a quotation attributed to the 1980’s and 90’s pop star, Madonna: “Why did I want to break all the rules, because the rules didn’t make sense”. In her heyday, she was considered the cutting edge of radical. What makes me laugh now is that much of her music is “elevator music” or muzak—the background noise at malls and public places. I remember almost spitting out my morning coffee when I heard some of Madonna’s music played at the nursing home of  my 90’s something aunt. At that moment I realized, for all her planned wickedness and flaunting of rules, Madonna is a has-been. Long ago overtaken by successive waves of the next, and the new.
 
Wisdom, however, is never trendy, but is always a pleasure to one steeped in it. Those who are trained up in wisdom are not garish in their youth, nor laughed at as a has-been in their senior years. Those who walk in wisdom carry about them the freshness of life well-lived. Those who are filled with understanding have hope for life beyond this life. They lead others in the right path. For a man or woman of understanding, it becomes obvious to the observer that the public life and the private of that person is consistent. It is honourable.
 
Wisdom and understanding are not naturally part of the human heart. People are born with every sinful inclination and wayward impulse. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to break the ingrained bent toward evil and open a heart up to the reconciling work of Jesus. No one can white-knuckle his way to a new life. It wells up in the heart of a person who belongs to Jesus. It is like cool, refreshing water available to all who live in the desert wastelands of our culture.
 
O God our Father, thank You for the blessing of Your great love, shown to us through Jesus.
O God the Spirit, thank You for opening in my soul a well of living water, from which the rich fountain of Christ’s blessings flow and overflow in my life.
O God my Savior, thank You for the fullness of life, the joy and pleasures which accompany living for You. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/0nnkkra4FwY?si=rtC4pKYrdtqQMVDI Psalm 150 Praise the Lord
 

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